Identity of Rape Victim not to be Disclosed: SC

Not to reveal identity of rape victim

The Supreme Court (SC), in Nipun Saxena & Another v Union of India & Others, says that identity of the rape victims should be published or revealed, in any manner, as per Section 228 A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Kerala HC declines to quash proceedings u/s 228A

Recently, the Kerala High Court, in Fr.Joseph Kuzhinjalil v State of Kerala, declined to quash proceedings against the Printer and Publisher and Chief editor of Rashtra Deepika Publications, Kottayam under Section 228A of the IPC, for disclosing the details of a victim of a sexual offence.

SC Guidelines preventing disclosure of identity

In Nipun Saxena judgement, the SC issued the guidelines relating to non-disclosure of identity of the victim under Section 228A of the IPC, as follows: –

1. No person can print or publish in print, electronic, social media, etc. the name of the victim or even in a remote manner disclose any facts which can lead to the victim being identified and which should make her identity known to the public at large.
2. In cases where the victim is dead or of unsound mind the name of the victim or her identity should not be disclosed even under the authorization of the next of the kin, unless circumstances justifying the disclosure of her identity exist, which shall be decided by the competent authority, which at present is the Sessions Judge.
3. FIRs relating to offences under Sections 376, 376A, 376AB, 376B, 376C, 376D, 376DA, 376DB or 376E of 39 IPC and offences under POCSO shall not be put in the public domain.
4. In case a victim files an appeal under Section 372 CrPC, it is not necessary for the victim to disclose his/her identity and the appeal shall be dealt with in the manner laid down by law.
5. The police officials should keep all the documents in which the name of the victim is disclosed, as far as possible, in a sealed cover and replace these documents by identical documents in which the name of the victim is removed in all records which may be scrutinised in the public domain.
6. All the authorities to which the name of the victim is disclosed by the investigating agency or the court are also duty bound to keep the name and identity of the victim secret and not disclose it in any manner except in the report which should only be sent in a sealed cover to the investigating agency or the court.
7. An application by the next of kin to authorise disclosure of identity of a dead victim or of a victim of unsound mind under Section 228A(2)(c) of IPC should be made only to the Sessions Judge concerned until the Government acts under Section 228A(1)(c) and lays down criteria as per our directions for identifying such social welfare institutions or organisations
8. In case of minor victims under POCSO, disclosure of their identity can only be permitted by the Special Court, if such disclosure is in the interest of the child.
9. All the States/Union Territories are requested to set up at least one ‘one stop centre’ in every district within one year from today.

Reference

1. Nipun Saxena & Another v Union of India & Others
2. Joseph Kuzhinjalil v State of Kerala